Green Lantern (vol.3) #67 (1995)

Green Lantern (vol.3) #67 (October, 1995)
"Fast Friends? Part Two"
Writer - Ron Marz
Pencils - Paul Pelletier
Inks - Romeo Tanghal
Colors - Patricia Mulvihill
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza
Editor - Kevin Dooley
Cover Price: $1.75

Going to wrap up the two-part "Fast Friends?" story from the early years of Kyle Rayner's turn as the main (and only) ring-slinger in the DCU.

I'll throw this one up over on the Collected Editions page for easy (chronological) reading!

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We pick up right where we left off last issue.  Wally has arrived in New York City... and asks the inexperienced Kyle to step aside while "someone who knows what they're doing" takes over.  As you may imagine, Kyle ain't quite feeling that.  All the while, poor Sonar is being completely ignored... and so, he lashes out!

Kyle manages to construct an emerald mattress of sorts for Wally to land safely on... but doesn't even get a "thank you" for the gesture!  Sonar turns his attention to the gathered New York City Police Officers, however, before he can do any permanent damage, Wally swoops in for the save.

No matter though, Sonar zaps the Flash with a sonic ray (which looks pretty adorable emanating from his index finger) which causes him to lose all equilibrium!

With Wally down and out, Kyle pops in and traps the baddie within a construct ball... which holds him just long enough for he and Wally to exchange a few more barbs.

Now freed, Sonar figures "screw it" and blasts both the ground below the heroes and a high-rise building causing all the windows to shatter (I guess dude's ambidextrous!).  Kyle is forced to construct a giant turtle beast to shield Wally from the razor-sharp shards.  This finally merits a begrudging "thanks" from the Speedster.

While Sonar crafts himself a throne of twisted metal, we shift scenes to the Statue of Liberty, and rejoin the legless fella from last issue.  With his new emerald-construct legs, he plans on climbing to the top of Lady Liberty for the first time.  As he makes the trudge, he catches his hand on a piece of rusted metal, which draws blood.  This causes him to lose his train of thought... and with it, his legs!  Luckily another visitor was right behind him, and caught him before he took a major tumble.  By now, dude looks positively twisted... and I still, for the life of me, can't remember how this ends up!

Back on the streets, Green Lantern and the Flash take turns trying to take down Sonar... neither are very successful.  It isn't until Kyle dismissively tells Wally to "go break the sound barrier" (in the vein of "go take a flyin' leap" that it clicks.  These two are going to have to work together to take Sonar out.

And so, they do just that!  Wally rushes Sonar, grabs him by the collar... and breaks the sound barrier, rendering his sound-based powers rather moot!  While he's outta commission (powers-wise), Kyle wallops him with a construct mitt.

By the time the dust settles, the heroes are well into Upstate New York... and Sonar has been captured in a construct tomb.  Wally tells Kyle to get Sonar over to the Slab, and they'll take care of the rest.

From here, the two have sort of a heart-to-heart.  Wally reveals to Kyle that there's sort of a tradition between their respective "flag bearers".  Flashes and Green Lanterns have a habit of teaming up... going all the way back to the Golden Age (though Wally only mentions Barry and Hal here)!

He continues, and even suggests that maybe somewhere down the line the get together just to hang out.  Kyle's pretty receptive to the idea, and it seems like these two might be on their way to becoming (maybe-not-so) Fast Friends...

... however, they do part company certain that they were the "stronger half" of this team-up!

--

Okay, we have a little bit to unpack here.  Pretty standard superhero "can you top this" sort of story, which ends as they all do... with the heroes realizing they're going to have to work together.  Fair enough... nothing we haven't seen before.

Though, with these two, there's a bit more of a novelty to it.  This is really the first outing I can think of featuring two legacy heroes.  I'm wracking my brain trying to think of another, but I'm coming up empty.  I know Kyle hasn't met the new Green Arrow yet... maybe Wally's teamed up with him though.  Dunno.  Either way, that wouldn't have quite the "cache" of the next generation of Flash and Lantern teaming up.

Wally acts like kind of a jerk here... but, I can excuse it.  It wasn't so long ago people weren't quite sure whether or not he should be Barry's successor.  Hell, that's not even limited to inside the comic!  Marv Wolfman had actually created a character he wanted to replace Barry with!  Meet Mackenzie Ryan!

From The Flash Companion (2008, TwoMorrows Publishing)

... and, from Marv's mouth (he doesn't remember all that much)...

From The Flash Companion (2008, TwoMorrows Publishing)

So, yeah... no wonder Wally has a little bit of a complex, eh?  Okay, all joking aside... Wally wasn't immediately accepted by the superhero community.  Sure, he got the "intellectual rights" (the costume and name), but it took him awhile to grow into it... and get the respect and approval of his peers.  I'm thinking with Kyle, maybe it's a situation where he can "smell his own".

Or, maybe it's just that it's the first time where he gets to pull the "veteran card" on a rookie?  Either way, it worked for me.

There's that one cutaway to the man with the construct legs at the Statue of Liberty... and man, it's driving me nuts that I can't remember anything about this!  I feel kinda foolish for suggesting it could've been a long brewing deal with Kyle handing off his powers bit by bit, when it was actually dealt with in the very next issue!  Whatever the case, I'm pretty intrigued!

Overall, an important little two-parter wherein a pair of legacy characters sorta-kinda come together to continue the tradition of Flash and Lantern team-ups.  They're off to a rocky start, for sure, however that's just another reminder that these ain't your daddy's superheroes (give it a decade though).  This issue is available digitally.

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Green Lantern (vol.3) #66 (1995)

Green Lantern (vol.3) #66 (September, 1995)
"Fast Friends? Part One"
Writer - Ron Marz
Pencils - Paul Pelletier
Inks - Romeo Tanghal
Colors - Rob Schwager
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza
Editor - Kevin Dooley
Cover Price: $1.75

Today we're going to continue our little impromptu "Paul Pelletier Appreciate Week" event by taking a look at the first team-up between Kyle Rayner and Wally West!

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We open with Kyle Rayner heading to the library for some reference materials for an upcoming art project, when he just so happens to stumble across an armor-wearing creep who promises to destroy the joint unless he's given a million bucks and all of his terroristy friends are released from prison.  Sounds fair, doesn't it?  Anyhoo, Kyle "Lanterns up" and is blasted right into a nearby fella in a wheelchair.  After shaking that off, he takes down the baddie with ease.

Once the dust settles, Kyle heads over to the man in the wheelchair to make sure he's okay.  We learn that this fellow lost his legs in a train accident... and our man wonders if there isn't something he might be able to do to help.  And so, he "breaks off" a teeny bit of his Green Lantern power and bestows it on the man... giving him the ability to "will up" a pair of emerald legs!  Kyle leaves with a sense of satisfaction... but without his reference material.

Meanwhile in Keystone City, the Flash is dealing with a brand-new supervillain... Sonar!  Wally ain't too keen on this dude tearing up his city... but, as you might imagine, Sonar doesn't really care what he thinks.

Sonar goes on a pontificate-y rant, proclaiming himself as the King of humankind.  Wally gives him the ol' "Not in my city, you ain't!", which seems like a forced bit of business to facilitate Sonar's response that Keystone City is too small for a man such as he as he vanishes into the sky.

We rejoin Kyle as he arrives back at his building.  He pops into Radu's Coffee Shop for a cup before heading upstairs.  Radu introduces him to another tenant, a model named Allison.  She and Kyle flirt for a bit while Radu prepares his Double-Sug-Cap.

As our man turns to leave, Radu informs him that he received a package while he was out... and that he put it in his apartment for him.  Turns out, it's a bouquet of roses from his new gal-pal, Donna Troy!  Man, whoever said chivalry was dead?  Anyhoo, this makes Kyle feel a bit guilty about chatting up Model-Ali downstairs.

Kyle then grabs his sketchpad and heads to the roof to do a little etching.  Unfortunately, just as he's settling into it, he's wracked by a sonar shockwave!  It's a good thing he's actually Green Lantern... I could only imagine how many poor civilians just got flung from their roofs!

After changing into uniform, Kyle heads uptown where he finds... you guessed it, the King of all Mankind... Sonar!  Ya see, Keystone is chump-change compared to New York City.  If there's ever a place to throw on a gaudy outfit and proclaim yourself "boss", it's gotta be New York.

Green Lantern and Sonar battle it out for a bit before being interrupted by the arrival of... the Flash!

--

Had a lot of fun with this one.  I sometimes forget just how special these early Kyle issues were.  It's really like we were making a new friend here.

Speaking of "new friends", this is one of (if not the) earliest instances where Kyle and Wally crossed paths!  That's some pretty important "legacy hero" stuff, and I'm really happy to be revisiting it.  I really enjoyed their dynamic... where (for once) Wally West gets to pull the "experienced veteran card".  I'll put a pin in that for now, as I'm sure we'll be discussing that bit of business more tomorrow.

I wanna talk briefly about Kyle "breaking off" a bit of his power for the legless fella.  I'm going to use the old Chris-chestnut of "It's been awhile since I looked at this era, so I don't remember if this leads anywhere...", but I think this is a pretty cool idea.  Having Kyle, ever the altruist, giving away his powers bit by bit... until there comes a time where he's in a jam and might need it all back.  Did that ever happen?  Am I completely blanking on (what I'd assume to be) one helluva story here?

Either way, this is pretty cool... and, gotta say, the idea of a New York full'a folks with a tiny bit of emerald energy kinda tickles me.  One heckuva visual there!

Sonar... is kind of a goofball villain, though he doesn't seem like he's messing around.  In this issue alone, he was able to go toe-to-toe with both Wally and Kyle.  Pretty decent first outing for the guy!

Now, the reason we're looking at this issue today... the art!  I mean, broken record time, it's really great stuff!  Very clean and sharp... just really wonderful to look at!  It's the kind of art I'd refer to as "candy for the eyes".  Really well done.

Overall, I'd say jump on this issue... not only for the art, but for a heckuva fun story too!  There's a magic to these early Kyle Rayner issues of Green Lantern, and if you've never experienced them, you owe it to yourself to give 'em a go!  This issue is available digitally.

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Superboy and the Ravers #1 (1996)

Superboy and the Ravers #1 (September, 1996)
"House Rules, Part 1: The Never-Ending Party"
Writers - Karl Kesel & Steve Mattsson
Pencils - Paul Pelletier
Inks - Dan Davis
Colors - John Kalisz
Letters - Kevin Cunningham
Associate Editor - Chris Duffy
Editor - Frank Pittarese
Cover Price: $1.95

You ever take a look at the comics solicits, and say to youself, "What are they thinking?!".  Of course ya have... we all have.

I recall looking at much of the offerings of the short-lived DCYOU "era" wondering that.  Heck, I can think of about 20 titles from the initial New-52! launch I felt similarly about (Voodoo... really?).

Then there's books where the title of the thing is just so out there that it's hard to believe a) it was suggested, b) it got green-lit, and c) it made it to print!

In that spirit, today I give to you... Superboy and the Ravers!

Well, actually... this is just another entry in our "Hey, Paul Pelletier is awesome!" series... but, we can still mention how silly the title is, right?

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We open with Superboy heading over to Pali Lookout, Hawaii in order to meet with lady-friend and Bloodlines buddy, Sparx!  After a moment of feeling as though he was stood up, she ZAPS into sight and gives him a "why so serious?" kind of look.  After clearing the air, she takes him to their destination... there just so happens to be an intergalactic "Event Horizon" Rave going on just ova there!

Superboy isn't all that impressed, and suggests a better use of his time would be heading home to feed Krypto, but Sparx really wants him to stay.  She doesn't know much about the situation... only that the last time she popped in on one'a these, she didn't stay long enough to get her hand stamped.  As she rambles, Superboy becomes instantly smitten with a girl wearing a mask and a bellybutton ring.

Worth noting, all of these intergalactic ravers speak their own language... one Kon doesn't understand.  As you might imagine, this leads to some misunderstandings.  Speaking of misunderstandings, some big dude thinks Sparx is the right girl for him, and so he grabs her.

She ZAPS him off... which really seems to annoy him.  Turns out this fella is a Khund... and we all know they're jerks.  Superboy hops in to take control of the situation, only to be nyoinked out of the fray by a dollar-store Street Shark... who he socks in the nose (or at least where his nose would be)!

Superboy gets walloped... which makes that bellybutton ring girl laugh.  Oh, she speaks Earthen English, by the way.  This riles the kid up, and so he lunges in for more... only, he winds up smacking right into the forcefield of our latest arrival(s).

By this point, Superboy has ruined everybody's good time, or maybe their MDMA has worn off... whatever the case, they're ticked at the kid!  A dude who looks like Frankenstein's slacker brother lifts him up by the collar, and slams him into a tree.

Superboy is saved from the potentially-hairy misunderstanding by that new arrival he bumped into moments earlier... a fella named Hero.  Hero's got a dog called "Rex"... which, I suppose is a pretty common name (in dog circles), though I'm hoping he's a dog of the "Wonder" variety.  It's here that we learn the Street Shark Kon punched is actually the Bouncer of this here Rave... and it probably wasn't the wisest idea to lash out.

Just then, the "Bouncer" returns... now flanked by a blonde fellow and a third-string Youngblood member.  The toe-head introduces himself as Kindred Marx, and it looks like he's in charge of this here Rave.

Superboy goes to shake his hand, and gets (what he assumes to be) the ol' joy-buzzer gag!  Turns out, the shock was really Marx implanting a "hand-stamp" on the kid.  It's his ticket to and from the Event Horizon Rave, no matter where it's happening!  Also, he can now understand all of the disparate languages of the Ravers... and thankfully, so can we!

After the dust settles, Sparx goes off to dance with some goons, and Superboy asks Hero for some "411" on the girl with the bellybutton ring.  Turns out, her name is Aura... and she hangs out with a too-cool for school outfit called "The Fashion Police".  I wonder if they'll give Superboy a ticket for his awful haircut.  Anyhoo, Superboy decides maybe he'll chat her up.  Only, he's cut off by... a Weaponer of Qward?!

The Weaponer is introduced as Kaliber... and he has taken exception to Superboy wearing the colors of the actual Man of Steel.  Superboy suggests ol' winghead "chill", which really gets his dander up.  Ya don't go around telling him how to regulate his internal temperature!  Naturally, they begin to brawl... only to be separated by the Street Shark.

Kindred Marx suggests that Kal and Kon "take it outside"... and so, they do.  Only, in stepping "outside" they find themselves on an arena planetoid!

They fight for a minute, with Kon saving Kal's bacon a time or two until Marx sends the rest of the party back to Hawaii (and removes Superboy and Kaliber's "hand-stamps".  Turns out their little Arena-Planet has been discovered by... InterC.E.P.T.?!

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Ya know, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one to begin with... and I was still surprised!  What a weird little book, and to think... it's an ongoing series!  Gotta wonder just how this was ever an idea in the first place!

Now, that's not to say it was bad (because it wasn't)... just that it's weird (because it is)!  This book has been sitting in my longbox library for a long while, and I was never compelled enough to actually pull the trigger and read it.  Might sound silly, but hunkering down with a comic has become kind of a "time investment" for me over the past little while.

I assumed this was going to be the story of Superboy leading a team called "The Ravers", with a bunch of "grown adult approximating teen" speak... what I wasn't expecting was an actual (intergalactic) rave!

Worth saying that I don't have all that much familiarity with "rave culture" (shocker, I know!).  I do remember some kids in my high school wearing pacifiers around their necks for reasons I didn't understand at the time.  I was so "in my own world" I must have just assumed it was a very weird fashion statement... or they were just high.  Wasn't until I took a few addiction courses in college that I (sorta) understood it.

That being said, it's kind of interesting to me that DC would publish a book about (literal) Ravers.  Part of me was expecting that there'd be a few of these geeks off in the corner passing out Mollies... though, in fairness... this was just the first issue.  That might still be on the horizon.

Preconceptions aside, I thought this was a pretty fun issue... and a neat introduction to a very strange concept.  Gotta mention the reason we're checking it out in the first place... Pencillin' Paul.  Some really solid stuff from him, excellent facial expressions and action... though, I'm not sure Dan Davis is his best inker.  Some of the panels looks kind of Stuart Immonen-esque, which isn't a bad thing... but just a bit looser than what I've come to expect.

Overall, I'd say this one's worth a peek, if only for the novelty/oddity and, of course, the art.  This one doesn't appear to have been made available digitally just yet (for some reason #10 is the only one up there), but shouldn't break the bank in the wild.

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